


ice box

by tellmewhatyousee



Series: law works the night shift [3]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Bonding, Gen, Late Night Conversations, Mentions of Nightmares, hints of lawbin if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:47:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25451878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tellmewhatyousee/pseuds/tellmewhatyousee
Summary: A late-night trip to the infirmary turns into an unexpected conversation.
Relationships: Nico Robin & Trafalgar D. Water Law
Series: law works the night shift [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808809
Comments: 9
Kudos: 76





	ice box

Robin woke up on the floor, her heart racing like she’d just run a marathon. She sat up rather abruptly, her gaze flickering around the room to assess her surroundings. Of course, she was still in her and Nami’s quarters. The other woman was sleeping soundly across the room. Robin had simply rolled out of bed in her sleep.

Despite the pain in her side from the landing, she forced herself to stand. She didn’t really _want_ to go back to sleep, not after her brain decided to conjure up a nightmare like that. She couldn’t remember all the details, but what she _could_ remember was upsetting enough that she didn’t want to risk reliving it. Instead, she pulled on her robe to account for the cool evening air, and made her way out of the room.

To her surprise, the infirmary’s door was open, and a dim light spilled into the hallway. She could only assume Chopper was doing some late-night work, and she hoped he had some quick remedy for her aches.

Unfortunately, she had no such luck.

Instead of the usual little reindeer stationed at his desk, she found the latest addition to the Sunny. Law was dressed in only a t-shirt and jeans, his legs crossed as he read the book in his lap. He didn’t immediately acknowledge Robin’s presence, but when she turned the overhead lights on, he lifted his head to look at her.

“Miss Nico.” He greeted her with a small nod. “Do you need something?”

“I’ve just come for some ice,” Robin replied as she made her way towards the ice box across the room. “So long as that’s alright with you, Doctor.”

Law turned the chair to face the desk, where he set the book down to continue his reading. “It’s not my infirmary,” he said. “Do whatever you’d like.”

Robin only hummed in response as she pulled an ice pack out of the box. There was certainly more than one part of her that hurt, but her shoulder got the worst of it, and she didn’t want to take any more than she needed. She grabbed a towel to wrap around the pack, and briefly considered leaving the infirmary then, but decided against it. Instead, she walked behind the desk to peer over Law’s shoulder.

He was reading one of Chopper’s books, some encyclopedia of herbs the reindeer often used for reference. Robin couldn’t make out what exactly Law was looking at, but she definitely recognized the drawing style from her own searches through Chopper’s library.

“Is there something else you need, Miss?” Law asked, without turning around.

Robin smiled. “I was just wondering what you were reading,” she replied. “Are you looking for something in particular?”

Law sighed as he spun his chair around to face her. “Are _you_ looking for something in particular?” he asked, then his gaze flickered to her shoulder. “You’re hurt.”

Robin raised an eyebrow. The ice pack was down by her side, and she didn’t think she had shown any obvious signs of pain, so she couldn’t help but wonder just how he’d made such an accurate assumption. “Yes, I suppose I’m a bit of a restless sleeper sometimes,” she said, still with a smile on her face. “Would you take a look, Doctor?”

Law narrowed his eyes. He was a smart man, he could probably tell she had some sort of motive— though, maybe not exactly what that motive was. Still, he stood from his chair and walked over to the sink to wash his hands. “Have a seat.”

Robin did as she was asked, taking the chair Law had just been occupying. She untied her robe and let it slip down her shoulders, leaving her in only a thin tank top. Law didn’t even bat an eye when he turned to face her again.

If anything, she could appreciate his professionalism.

Law stood beside her, and his hands were cold as he poked and prodded at her shoulder. “What happened, exactly?” he asked.

“I fell out of bed,” Robin answered, watching Law’s face carefully. “It wasn’t a very long fall. The bed isn’t too high off the ground.”

Law only nodded in response. He started to move her arm in different directions, likely testing her range of motion, occasionally glancing at her face for any sign of pain. His own expression was one of concentration.

“Why are you here this late at night?” Robin asked, causing Law to falter in his movements. “I don’t believe I’ve seen any sign of you sleeping for as long as I’ve known you.”

“I don’t need much sleep,” Law replied, “And I’m most productive in a quiet environment. I’m sure you’re fully aware that such a space is hard to come by on this ship.”

Robin hummed. “I think you’d have a much easier time understanding the contents of that book if Chopper were awake to help you.”

Law stepped away from her then, and walked back to the sink to wash his hands again. “Your shoulder seems fine,” he said. “You may have a bruise in the morning, but the ice will help reduce the swelling.”

Even if he tried to hide it, Robin could hear the irritation in his voice, and she knew she was getting somewhere. “You know,” she began, “For someone who supposedly doesn’t need much sleep, you’re awfully… tense.”

Law glanced over his shoulder as he dried his hands off. “And how exactly does that concern you?” he asked.

Robin simply smiled at him as she lifted the ice pack to her shoulder. “I just think some rest would do you well, is all.”

Law let out a sigh as he turned to face her. “Miss Nico, I am no stranger to ‘restless sleep,’” he said. “Once I am in a position in which I’ll be able to sleep soundly, I assure you that I will do so. But at the moment, my time alone is much better spent on more important things. What I choose to do with that time is none of your business.”

Robin raised her eyebrows. Admittedly, she hadn’t expected him to be so blunt with his response. But considering how clearly irritated the doctor was, he most likely just wanted to get her out of there as quickly as possible. And so she humored him, standing from Chopper’s chair so that he could claim it once more.

She didn’t leave just yet, though. She turned to the door, but watched him over her shoulder as he sat down. “You’re perfectly safe here, you know,” she told him.

Law only spared her a brief glance before he returned his attention to the book on the desk.

“For the time being, you’re essentially part of our crew,” Robin continued, “And we don’t take the safety and well-being of our crewmates lightly. You can rest easy while you’re here.”

She left him with that, heading towards the kitchen for an early breakfast.

Later, when she walked by the infirmary, she caught a glimpse of Law with his head down on the desk.


End file.
